Better Yet, It Carries No Cost To The Taxpayers

Huntington Beach, CA officials say that not only was last year's Air Show an economic boon for the region, it was put on at no cost to the city's taxpayers.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the show, which was held from September 29 to October 1, cost the city about $169,000, which includes nearly $65,000 for police support. Those costs were offset by parking revenue, which came in at about $92,000, and $77,000 from the show's promoter, AirSupport LLC.

The inaugural event in 2016 lost about $400,000, according to the city, which assisted by temporarily raising parking fees to give the show a $100,000 boost. It also allowed the promoter to hold off on paying for work performed by public safety and other city employees.

While there are not yet any attendance figures for the free show, the study conducted by the city shows that in 2016, restaurants showed an increase in revenue of 26 percent over the previous year, when there was no air show. In 2017, restaurant revenue grew another 20 percent to $3.3 million for the two days of the show.

The council seemed generally pleased with the outcome, with Councilman Patrick Brenden calling the air show a "good investment."